Converting animal and human waste into biogas

A well established Nigerian company that makes and sells mobile toilets wanted to know if it would be feasible to set up a biogas plant using the human waste from their mobile toilets and the animal waste from a neighbouring abattoir. The generation of biogas would not only reduce carbon emissions but also eliminate the need to dump the waste in the local river, which pollutes the water and contributes to ill health among local residents.

ERM consultants carried out a pro-bono pre-feasibility study concluding that the venture was viable. The proposed venture could generate enough biogas to cover not only the company’s energy needs but also the neighbour abattoir’s needs. Excess energy could be sold to neighbours in a closed, independent power system. Further research is now being conducted to clarify technical capacity and integrate it into the Nigerian context. If the results of this research are favourable, the Low Carbon Enterprise Fund will consider investing in the enterprise.